Spotlight on Spelling
Why is spelling important? Don't we all rely on technology to check our spelling anyway? Why make our kids focus on something so inconsequential?
These questions have been posed to me with increased frequency over the past few years. Couple that with the number of misspelled words that I regularly encounter in my adult life, and you might begin to see my need to address this issue head on. Let me be clear- spelling is incredibly important.
I recently came across this poem on the internet:
These questions have been posed to me with increased frequency over the past few years. Couple that with the number of misspelled words that I regularly encounter in my adult life, and you might begin to see my need to address this issue head on. Let me be clear- spelling is incredibly important.
I recently came across this poem on the internet:
EYE HALVE A SPELLING CHECKER
I halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marcs four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased to no
Its letter perfect awl the weight
My checker tolled me sew.
I halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marcs four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased to no
Its letter perfect awl the weight
My checker tolled me sew.
How Can You Help Strengthen Your Child's Spelling
Some additional ideas:
- As with anything, we learn better when we see the value in what we're learning. Please try to convey to your child why spelling is important.
- Compliment them when they spell something correctly, or when they finally learn to spell a word that has been eluding them.
- Point out misspelled words around us. My favorite is "thru" as in "drive thru". As if the food wasn't bad enough....
- Make it fun! This is the best strategy for learning almost anything. When kids are having fun, they are more engaged and their minds simply work differently.
- Write notes to your child. Encourage them to write back. No need to edit their replies, simply try to incorporate the words they misspelled into your replies, but spelled correctly of course!
Rebecca Sitton Spelling Curriculum
We utilize the Rebecca Sitton spelling curriculum. It focuses on building students spelling over the course of many years. There are "No Excuse Words" that students are expected to consistently spell correctly and "Core Words" that we will build on over the course of the year.
Students take a pretest (PT) on Monday to determine which words they are already spelling correctly and which words they need to focus on mastering. We do lessons, activities, and homework assignments that week where students are concentrating on five words that were identified in their PT as focus words. On Friday, we take the Word Test (WT) to determine improvement and next steps. I have used this curriculum for many years and it is very effective in having a lasting positive impact on students' spelling.
No Excuse Words (4th Grade)
Core Words (4th Grade)
Students take a pretest (PT) on Monday to determine which words they are already spelling correctly and which words they need to focus on mastering. We do lessons, activities, and homework assignments that week where students are concentrating on five words that were identified in their PT as focus words. On Friday, we take the Word Test (WT) to determine improvement and next steps. I have used this curriculum for many years and it is very effective in having a lasting positive impact on students' spelling.
No Excuse Words (4th Grade)
Core Words (4th Grade)
Recommended articles/links:
Importance of Spelling
Why Learning Spelling is Important (Please note that this site goes a little overboard in an effort to pitch their spelling product. I'm not endorsing their product whatsoever. I simply liked some of the general information they provided about struggles with spelling challenging students in their reading and writing.)
Why Some Kids Can't Spell and Why Spelling Tests Won't Help
Importance of Spelling
Why Learning Spelling is Important (Please note that this site goes a little overboard in an effort to pitch their spelling product. I'm not endorsing their product whatsoever. I simply liked some of the general information they provided about struggles with spelling challenging students in their reading and writing.)
Why Some Kids Can't Spell and Why Spelling Tests Won't Help